In these oh-so-strange days in and around the NFL, John Pagano is glad to have a circled date or two coming up on his coaching calendar and glad he will have some players to put through the paces.

“They’re just going to be a little younger is all, maybe a little smaller,” Pagano said. “But football is football, and I’m excited we’ll have another year working with these kids, getting back on the field.”

Pagano, the San Diego Chargers’ linebackers coach and a Fairview High School graduate; his brother Chuck, the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator and a Fairview alumnus; and their father Sam have guided the Mile High Football camp for 36 years.

The Pagano brothers have seen their offseason turned upside down by the NFL lockout, and their June 19-22 camp at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood is on the growing list of things touched by the league’s labor strife.

NFL players including Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Jay Cutler have worked at the camp. But with the league’s no-contact edict between players and coaches in effect because of the lockout, NFL players won’t be at this year’s camp unless the labor battle ends soon.

“That’s just one of the things the situation has affected,” John Pagano said. “That’s the unfortunate thing as everybody waits to see what’s going to happen. But there are a lot of stories like that, I’m sure. There are probably a lot of people around the game that could have things affected in some way if things continue the way they are. But we’re all in the same boat. We’re just waiting and watching right now.

“The camp is always one of the great things every offseason. I’ve been to every one as a participant, a counselor and now working on the coaching side. It’s a highlight of the offseason, part of our vacation.”

Because NFL players can’t be involved this year, Pagano has tried to secure more members of his coaching brethren to assist with the camp. That group is expected to include Broncos head coach John Fox. Pagano said Fox has agreed to come to the camp, which is for children ages 8 to 14.

“We’ll be ready for the kids,” Pagano said. “We’ll have a full staff of people ready to go and we’re all going to be ready to coach, I’m sure. It will be nice to get on the field, be with the kids and our family, that’s for sure.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill didn’t know what to do when he started hearing thousands of people in Arrowhead Stadium chanting his name, even as he stood all alone on the frozen turf waiting for the punt.